highways, freeways, expressways...

hi!
I have a doubt about which is which between "highway", "freeway" and "expressway"... (and the dictionary didn't help me!) I feel the translation will be a problem, since most probably we don't call them the same in Argentina/ Cuba/ Spain/ etc., so I guess an English-speaker could explain the difference among them to me? (which one is free, which one has toll, with/without exits, etc?).
thanks a lot!
laura

A highway is any road that extends a distance, usually between cities, out beyond urban areas on which traffic can flow rapidly at high speed limits but it has traffic controls such as traffic lights, stop signs, lower speed limits, etc. It can extend for hundreds and thousands of miles. Before we had freeways we had highways. The name can loosely be applied to any major road including a freeway or expressway

An expressway is like a short freeway, with limited access, usually with four or more lanes and a high speed limit that generally runs a relatively short distance through a city to improve travel time. Many large cities have expressways and they generally are no more than about 50 miles, or less.

A freeway is a limited access highway with no traffic controls, with four or more lanes and a high speed limit, that extends between cities or across country. The U.S. has an extensive freeway system. A freeway can extend for thousands of miles. We have some that go from Canada to Mexico and a couple that go from the Atlantic to the Pacific, nearly 3000 miles and except for gas, food and sleep you never have stop.

A tollway (or tollroad) is similar to a freeway but fees (tarifas) are paid. Many states have tollways, some of which run from one city to another. Tollways are also relatively short. The longest are probably no more that 200 miles.

A turnpike (archaic) is the same as a tollway (at least the only ones I know about). In fact, I think the name "turnpike" derived from the practice of blocking a road with a barrier, until a fee was paid and a "pike" was "turned" to allow access.

In my travels in Mexico I observed that a carretera was equivalent to a highway or freeway and that an autopista was similar to freeway but the ones I travelled were tollroads; however, I prefer to have a native confirm that.

Ves! Everything you ever wanted to know about highways and then some! jeje

THANKS VICENTE... your explanations are very clear. Like Exxc&#233;ntrica, I had found confusing information -i.e., not confusing per se, but different to what we used here... the thing is our "autopistas" are all tollways (you have to pay), high speed and non-stop... but we translated them to highways! now I know better. they should be called "freeways", according to your definitions...THOUGH THEY'RE NOT FREE!!! some of our highways/ expressways ("rutas" for us, we don't call them "carreteras") travel really far, from north to south, atlantic to the andes... oh, I feel like driving away now! haha.

the thing is our "autopistas" are all tollways (you have to pay), high speed and non-stop... but we translated them to highways! now I know better. they should be called "freeways", according to your definitions...THOUGH THEY'RE NOT FREE!!!

Hi Laura,

I'd like to add a little more confusion.

As you have already hinted, calling a tollway a freeway will confuse your listener. Freeways are understood to be free. From your description "autopistas" should be called tollways. This may help prevent someone from attempting that route without bringing extra money.

Highway is a very general way to refer to a high-speed road. Expressway, tollway, and freeway add more description. I do like Vicente's post, very informative. In all areas I know, there is an alternative to the tollway. That alternative would be the freeway. However, that doesn't mean it is convenient, pleasant, or efficient. So it still might not be "free," but you won't have to pay a toll.

hey, steve! thanks a lot for adding to the confusion, I mean, to the information. really. I guess we'll all go on calling every high-speed road "highway" (I mean, if we need to use the English word for any reason) and make it clear, if we're giving directions, for example, that you need toll money, as you suggest!

new member? haven't read you before! welcome if that's the case, and pleased to meet you, in any case!
laura

Here are a couple of clarifications I would like to make for roads in the United States:

Freeways are not named that way because they are "free of charge". They are named freeways because they are free of cross traffic. They do not have intersections; instead they have on- and off-ramps and cars do not have to stop while on the road.

Expressways are separate sections of freeways, generally being the middle lanes where cars (trucks are generally not allowed in expressways or express lanes) that are travelling a greater distance move to escape the traffic of cars and trucks exiting and entering in the "local" freeway.

Turnpike is not archaic. There are turnpikes in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Oklahoma (those are the ones I am familiar with, I am sure that there are others). The concept is simple: when you enter the turnpike, you receive a ticket. There are very few exits (generally one every twenty or so miles--turnpikes are generally through very rural areas with no reason to exit unless you live there) and when you need to stop to get gas or eat something, they have built complexes on the side of the road. When you exit, you hand over the ticket and you pay the toll according to the distance you have travelled on the turnpike. Perhaps you have to drive on one to understand.

Highways encompass these three types of roads as well as many other kinds (simple two-lane roads that extend between towns, basically anything that is not a residential street...). Now, I am not even going to pretend that I know as much about translating the terms into Spanish.